(CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says his granddaughter Ryan Elisabeth Reid has received “harassing phone calls” and “negative attention on the internet” since word surfaced that Reid’s campaign paid thousands of dollars last year for items from a jewelry store she owns that were given to supporters as gifts.

The unusual emotional plea came just as the amount of money Reid will repay his campaign doubled to more than $31,000 after additional payments to the jewelry company were found in Federal Election Commission filings from 2012.

“My granddaughter has been the target of harassing phone calls, strangers tracking her down and knocking on her door and negative, unwanted attention on the internet. This has gone too far and it needs to stop now. I deeply regret any role I had in creating this situation but now, as a grandparent, I say enough is enough,” Reid said in a statement released late Wednesday.

“I am reimbursing my campaign for the amount spent on thank-you gifts produced by my granddaughter, a professional and talented artist who produced gifts for my staff and supporters that had a personal connection to my family and my hometown of Searchlight, Nevada,” Reid said.

“I believe my granddaughter is a very talented individual and I admire her work tremendously, but I've decided that it would be best to pay for her work out of my own pocket. My office is reviewing our records to ensure that we reimburse my campaign for the full amount.”

On Tuesday, Reid announced he would repay his campaign nearly $17,000 for purchases from Ryan Elisabeth Reid’s company.

That decision came after the FEC sent Reid’s campaign a formal letter requesting additional details about payments that were noted in the filings as being for “holiday gifts.”

The FEC did not say why it wanted more information about the payments.

BASH: But if you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER: Why pit one against the other?
REID: Why would we want to do that? I have 1,100 people at Nellis Air Force Base that are sitting home. They have a few problems of their own. This is — to have someone of your intelligence to suggest such a thing maybe means you’re irresponsible and reckless.

March 27, 2014 03:03 pm at 3:03 pm |

Malory Archer

Ben Dover

His granddaughter's art isn't quite as good as he thinks. It's amateurish and overpriced. Nobody buys it but Granddaddy

Delusional Harry believes he is above the law. Don't you know? The GOP made him do it.

March 27, 2014 03:11 pm at 3:11 pm |

Dominican mama 4 Obama

My apologies to the state of Florida.
You all have been so busy down ther "standing your ground" that I gave you credit for the Detroit shooting of that motorist that was seeking assistance and a got a bullet in the face instead.

March 27, 2014 03:12 pm at 3:12 pm |

john

who votes for these weird people?

March 27, 2014 03:15 pm at 3:15 pm |

Fair is Fair

Dude's a millionaire many times over and he takes $17K out of CAMPAIGN funds to buy cheap trinkets from HIS OWN granddaughter's "art shop".

Stoopid... very stooooopid.

March 27, 2014 03:15 pm at 3:15 pm |

Robert Schaefer

Hey Jboh wake up I'm surprised you don't blame it on bush

March 27, 2014 03:16 pm at 3:16 pm |

Chris-E...al

T0 jail harry should go ! Leave the kid alone . She cant help her stealing grand dad got caught again . Dems do it all the time . Sad sick bunch and anyone that knowing votes for are to and will go to hel .. .

March 27, 2014 03:24 pm at 3:24 pm |

Hector Slagg

Well,
On the surface of it, it is hard to believe some will go to such lengths. Maybe so. Shades of Charlie Rangel, No?

March 27, 2014 03:25 pm at 3:25 pm |

frontliner

Reid is such a poor example for a grandfather. Diamond gifts? on top of the dropped FBI investigation. Typical lawmaker.

March 27, 2014 03:28 pm at 3:28 pm |

smith

@DM4O-Thanks for the compliment. Glad to hear some of my mumbles puts a smile on sombody`s face.

March 27, 2014 03:40 pm at 3:40 pm |

Lynda/Minnesota

"but I've decided that it would be best to pay for her work out of my own pocket."

It certainly would have been best to have done this in the first place, Harry Reid.
Oh, and by the way: the word "integrity" ... look it up.

I'd suggest he live by it as well, but I might be pushing him too hard. Or something.